I've always been obsessed with saving money and using coupons. The first thing I look at when I get my receipt is how much I saved. I don't know how many times I've caught myself smiling and wondered if anyone else saw me. On average I save at least 50% of my grocery bill just by using coupons. I love them!! They are like money to me!! I am a stay at home mom and have 2 small children and 1 more on the way, who more likely than not, are going to the store with me every week(multiple times a week). Needless to say, I am usually in a hurry at the store. So many people have been asking me lately how I save so much so I decided to start this blog to show you how I do it. It may not work for everyone but hopefully you can get some good ideas.
1. The first thing I recommend is that you create a separate email account from your personal one. Many times, a manufacturer's website will require an email address in order to print off a coupon. You will be surprised at how many websites offer coupons for things that you buy.
2. Start getting the Sunday paper if you do not already. The coupons alone are worth the $1.75! Ask around to neighbors, family and friends for them to give you their extra coupons that they don't use. The more copies of a coupon you have, the better. This will help later when you need or want to stockpile.
3. Find a way of organizing your coupons that works best for you. I used to have a tiny coupon organizer and I had to flip through every single coupon I had to find the right one. It took forever! Now, I use the binder method. I have a regular size 3-ring binder that I have filled with baseball card holders. I have categories that I separate with page separators. I found these in the Target dollar spot last year around the start of school. These are my tabs, but like I said before, they may not work for you: breakfast foods, bread rice & pasta, drinks, condiments, snacks, canned goods, frozen food, dairy, health and beauty, cleaning supplies, baby and misc. Separate your coupons now into these different categories and start filling up your pages, one coupon per slot. I think that you will find this so much easier when you are at the store and you have 2 children with you who both are unhappy and want different things at the same time. They are screaming but you can keep yourself sane by being able to look quickly through your coupons and pick out the one you need. Say that you need a coupon for cereal, all you have to do is find your cereal tab and look at the see through card holders and there it is. Just take it out and put it in the front of your binder. I also recommend that you keep your binder in some sort of canvas bag. I have found this to be the easiest. I know you may feel a little weird at first carrying that huge thing into the store but after you get used to it, it's nothing more than carrying a large purse. Also be sure that you always have a pen and calculator with you.
Please let me know if you have any questions!
Lisa B.
1. The first thing I recommend is that you create a separate email account from your personal one. Many times, a manufacturer's website will require an email address in order to print off a coupon. You will be surprised at how many websites offer coupons for things that you buy.
2. Start getting the Sunday paper if you do not already. The coupons alone are worth the $1.75! Ask around to neighbors, family and friends for them to give you their extra coupons that they don't use. The more copies of a coupon you have, the better. This will help later when you need or want to stockpile.
3. Find a way of organizing your coupons that works best for you. I used to have a tiny coupon organizer and I had to flip through every single coupon I had to find the right one. It took forever! Now, I use the binder method. I have a regular size 3-ring binder that I have filled with baseball card holders. I have categories that I separate with page separators. I found these in the Target dollar spot last year around the start of school. These are my tabs, but like I said before, they may not work for you: breakfast foods, bread rice & pasta, drinks, condiments, snacks, canned goods, frozen food, dairy, health and beauty, cleaning supplies, baby and misc. Separate your coupons now into these different categories and start filling up your pages, one coupon per slot. I think that you will find this so much easier when you are at the store and you have 2 children with you who both are unhappy and want different things at the same time. They are screaming but you can keep yourself sane by being able to look quickly through your coupons and pick out the one you need. Say that you need a coupon for cereal, all you have to do is find your cereal tab and look at the see through card holders and there it is. Just take it out and put it in the front of your binder. I also recommend that you keep your binder in some sort of canvas bag. I have found this to be the easiest. I know you may feel a little weird at first carrying that huge thing into the store but after you get used to it, it's nothing more than carrying a large purse. Also be sure that you always have a pen and calculator with you.
Please let me know if you have any questions!
Lisa B.
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